Do Mandzukic's UK comments hint at previous Arsenal interest?

Former Arsenal target Mario Mandzukic has revealed he received offers from the Premier League during the summer.

The Croatian international was linked with the move to the Gunners towards the end of last season as Arsene Wenger looked to boost his attacking ranks.

The Frenchman was a big admirer of Mandzukic but instead opted to sign England striker Danny Welbeck from fellow Premier League rivals Manchester United on transfer deadline day.

It was a move which surprised many and questions were raised as to why the Gunners boss waited until the final day to get a deal done.

Was it last day desperation – or did the Premier League’s current longest-standing manager plan it all along?

In an interview with Croatian reporters over the weekend, Mandzukic revealed he had offers from England before joining Atletico Madrid and his confession could suggest that he was Wenger’s first choice.

"I had better offers than from Atletico,” he said, quoted by the Mirror. “There were calls from the UK that interested me, but I believe that their style of football is simply not my way.”

“There were also interest from Italy and some concrete offers from Russia. I'm very pleased with everything.”

“I couldn't choose a better path after leaving Bayern Munich. The fans here accepted me immediately. Atletico was the best possible decision for me at this stage of my career.”

Position

Team

Goals

Total Shots

Chances Created

Pass Completion

Appearances

Mins Played

Danny Welbeck

FW

Arsenal

2

20

12

85.7%

6

526

Mario Mandzukic

FF

Atletico Madrid

3

20

7

65.9%

7

559

As per the table provided by Opta Stats, Mandzukic has had a solid yet unspectacular start to life at the Vicente Calderon, scoring three goals in seven matches.

Tom Thorogood

I'm a 27 year old language teacher and writer based out in Mexico with a passion for football and swimming. I like to focus on the top European Leagues, especially La Liga, as well as the footballing development in Central and South America. My favourite teams include Derby County, Barcelona and Jagaures de Chiapas.